Socket-shell-cap fastening.



H. HUBBELL.

SGKBT SHELL CAP FASTENING.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11,1909.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oinnon.

HARVEY HUBBELL, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SOCKET-SHELL-CAP FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Application led September 11, 1909. Serial No. 517,324.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARVEY HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Faireld, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Socket-Shell-Cap Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive sna lock or fastening for the caps of socket s ells thatl will retain the parts againstrotary movement relatively to each other and agamst separation, which can only be effected after n used to indicate springing the shell inward by pressure contiguous to the slot, and which'will prevent the shell from being collatpsed by outside pressure except in the act o unlocking.

l/Vith these and other objects in View I have devised the simple and novel construction of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is a specification, reference characters being the several parts: Figure 1 is an elevation showing the cap and shell in the locked position as in use;

l Fig. 2 a transverse section on the line 2-2 widened slightly,

in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 a detail elevation of the shell detached; Fig. 4 a greatly enlarged detail sectional view on the line t-4- in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a eatly enlarged detail horizontal section, ilust-ratin the manner in which the shell -is presse inward contiguous to the slot to detach the wall of the 'slot from the moutwardly-facing locking lug.

10 denotes an electric socket shell, in the present instance a key socket shell, which is made of spring-metal and is provided with a slot 11 which in a key socket receives the shank (not shown) of a switch key. In case of keyless sockets the slot may be much narrower. The. `upper end of slot 11 is as at 12,.for a'purpose presently to be explained.

13 denotes lockm lugs which are placed opposite to each Vot er, one being contigu. ous to theslot, and are formed by striking the metal off the shell outward, the upper `sides of the lugs being rounded and the metal left attached, and the metal on the lower sides of the lugs being detached from the shell to form ders 14.

l5 denotes the cap which is of the usual or any preferred configuration and is pro` vided near its lower end with a circumferenabrupt' locking shoulV tial rib 16, the inner side of which a correspondingly'circumferential roove 1T.

18 denotes locking shoulders in t 1e groove which lie opposite to each other and correspond with the lockin shell, as will be more fulIy ex lained. Locking shoulders 18 are formed by striking the metal on the underside of the rib inward, detaching it from the rib so as to make the shoulders abrupt. Contiguous to one of the locking shoulders 18 I form outwardly facing locking lugs 19. These lugs are formed by striking the metal inward detaching it at the outer sides of the lugs to form abrupt locking shoulders 20 which are adapted to engage the walls of slot 11, as clearly shown in hgs. 1 and 2.

It will be understood of course that the cap has a fixed diameter, that is it is relatively rigid and does not yield under the ordinary conditions of use. An important feature of the present invention is that the shell likewise is made rigid when locked and will not collapse under the ordinary conditions of use. The engagement of locking lugs 13 on the shell with locking shoulders 18 on the cap prevents detachment of the cap by longitudinal movement, and the engagement'of outwardly facing lookin@ lugs on the cap with the walls of the slot 1n the shell prevents rotary movement of either part relatively to the other, and prevents the shell from being collapsed by outside pressure, as will `be more fully explained. The parts may be connected by placing the cap over the shell in any position relatively to each other, but they are preferably connected with the outwardly 'facing locking lu s in alinement with the slot, as 1n Fig. l.

hen the cap is passed over the shell the en agement of the shell below the rib with loc -ing lugs 13 must necessarily contract the shell and move the walls of the slot toward each other. The widening, as at 12. of the upper end of the slot is to permit this contraction ofthe slot and still leave space to receive the outwardly-facing locking` ,lugs between the walls of the slot when said lugs and slot are in alinement. lVhen the cap is pushed'home upon the shell, lockinglugs 13 will snap into the groove and if in alinement with locking shoulders 18 on the cap will engage said shoulders and the outwardly-facing lookin@ lugs on the cap will pass between the wals of the slot in close proximity thereto below` widening 12, as in comprises Fig. l. If the outwardly-facing locking' lugsiare not ina'l'inement with the slot when .rotation relatively to each other' as the lugs will prevent any lclosing together ofthe Walls of the slot and will alsov prevent the shell from being collapsed'by outside pressure, as the eect of pressure upon' the shell is tio force the walls of the slot against the outwardly facing locking llugs which support thev 'shell and prevent collapsing. To detac'hthe i parts it is necessary to firstdisengage one of the outwardly., facing locking lugs fromthe corresponding wall ofthe slot by pressing thevshell inward contiguous to the slot, as

'shown in Fig. 5 and also by dotted lines in Fig. 2,it being understood that the Shell may be pressed inward upon either side of the slot. Slight rotation of one of they parts relatively to the other after the shell` as been pressed inward will cause the contiguous.outwardly-facing locking lug to ride up' over the shell outside thereof and will cause locking shoulders 18 on the cap to :z

pass out vof alinement with locking' lugs 13 on the shell when the parts maybe readily disconnected by moving them longitudinally in opposite directions. v

Having thus described my invention z'.

Claim: l f f i The combination with a socket shell having a slot widened on one side at its u per end, for the purpose set forth, and loc ing? lugs, of a cap having an internal'circunin;

ferential groovel and ylocking shoulders yin said groove and outwardly facing locking lugs adapted to snap into the slot to prevent rotary movement.- v

In testiinonyvwhereof aiix .my's'ignature in presence of two witnesses.V f

f HARVEY HUBBELL. llVitnesses: s A.`M.vWoosTER ,v

Y S. ATHERTON..l 

